Paging Sweetcocoa and other "kitchen chemists"!

BlkMane

New Member
Paging Sweetcocoa and other \"kitchen chemists\"!

I want to make some kind of spray for my roots to apply during the week that contains Rosemary, Sage, Sulfur (maybe) as the main ingredients. I'm also thinking of adding Grapeseed Oil which I've heard is very light (and might be good to stimulate hair growth).

I don't want my concoction to be oily, but I also don't want it to be too "watery" so that it will frizz my roots when I wear my hair straight.

Any recommendations for a "base" for this concoction? Suggestions? /images/graemlins/laugh.gif

I saw something similar to my "idea" at Vitamin Shoppe. It was also a hair spray (conditioner) and it contained Rosemary and Sage among lots of other things. However, it contained Henna which sort of scared me away from buying it as it has hardened my hair in the past.

Thanks in advance.
 

LondonDiva

New Member
Re: Paging Sweetcocoa and other \"kitchen chemists\"!

Blkmane I'm gald you started this thread because I was going to make a post about the same thing.

Have you thought of using gycerine, hydrosol (floral water) as a base?
 

sweetcocoa

Active Member
Re: Paging Sweetcocoa and other \"kitchen chemists\"!

<font color="purple">I like to experiment, so if I were you, I'd try a small amount first... in case you don't like it. I've melted my pomade and mixed it with distilled water and glycerin. Try melting an ounce of shea butter, add your oils(about a table spoon of each, then some distilled water till you get the consistency you want, then shake it up and put it in one of those spray bottles(I got them cheap at Walmart) . If you want, I could experiment with some extra shea and oils that I have and get back to you. Let me know. </font color>
 

Valerie

Well-Known Member
Re: Paging Sweetcocoa and other \"kitchen chemists\"!

Have you though to making a spray, using glycerine, distilled water and powdered MSM. Add some glycerine to the distilled water, shake up until it is dissolved, then add one teaspoon of powdered MSM a bit at a time, so that it can dissolve properly and spray on your hair, it is very good and it will definitely help to keep your hair moisturised and improve your growth. Some young Lady was adding MSM to her sprays and she found it very good. Also you can add MSM to your final rinse. It is very good.
 

BlkMane

New Member
Re: Paging Sweetcocoa and other \"kitchen chemists\"!

LondonDiva, Sweetcocoa, and Valerie thanks for the replies.

LondonDiva: Yes, rose water and glycerin are the two ingredients that I thought about, but I wanted to see what the experts thought first. /images/graemlins/wink.gif

I've never purchased either of these, but have seen rosewater in the healthfood stores and have seen it even cheaper in Rite Aid in the ethnic hair/skin care section (Latino brands). The glycerin I've also seen in the drugstore in those brown bottles, but I don't think that is vegetable glycerin? Is VEGETABLE glycerin better? I figure I can get that in the health food stores, too.

Sweetcocoa- How much glycerin would you use to make about 8-10 oz of hair spray? Also, what is better Rosemary and Sage oils OR me buying the herbs and boiling them in distilled water than using the water in the spray? [Would the oils dissolve in the water mixture?] Also, is it better to get fresh herbs (like from the grocery store) or dried herbs? I've seen dried sage and rosemary sold in commercially packaged bags at my local market.

Thanks!

BTW- I have a small container of shea butter that I purchased about 3 years ago and never really used. Does shea butter go bad? How do I know if it is unrefined or refined? I believe the container says 100% African Shea Butter. Will shea butter dissolve in the spray mixture?
 

BlkMane

New Member
Re: Paging Sweetcocoa and other \"kitchen chemists\"!

Valerie-

I take MSM, but unfortunately my tablets are solid, not capsules. Not sure if I mash them up if they will be as fine as the MSM powder. Do you recommend any particular MSM powder (brand)? Hope it is not too expensive! Also, will the MSM leave "white spots" on my hair if I put it in the spray?
 

kasey

Active Member
Re: Paging Sweetcocoa and other \"kitchen chemists\"

BlkMane,

You have quite a few questions. I'll try to help.

If you use fresh herbs you will need twice as much herb as you would if you chose to use dried herbs. With fresh herbs you also will have to worry more about spoilage. (Even if you use dried herbs you should put some vitamin e oil in the mixture as a preservative.)

You should plan on using two tablespoons dried of herbs to every eight ounces of water.

If you use the essential oils you need ten drops of oil to every one ounce of oil or water to make a 2 percent solution. This is a common percentage for body care products.

Pure MSM powder with out fillers will disolve completely in water. Try one teaspoon of MSM powder to one teaspoon of water and increase in small increments if necessary.

A simple potion for you would be to melt down your shea butter and add some rosemary and sage oil to make a cream. Or add the oils to the grapeseed oil or the rosewater and glycerin mix and pour into a spray bottle. <font color="brown"> </font color>
 

michelle

New Member
Re: Paging Sweetcocoa and other \"kitchen chemists\"

If you are going to mix oil and water, you shod use some kind of emulsifier to get them to blend, otherwise, they will always separate. It's not coming to mind what are the most common emulsifiers for thinner, sprayable products, I know there are plently for thicker, cream or lotion consistency products.

Shea Butter-----
The shelf life is approximately one year. I'm not sure if anything bad will happen to it, but it probably has lost most of it's healing properties, though it may still be moisturizing.

Refined shea butter is usually white or very creamy yellow and has no odor. Odor is a very telltale sign as there are distincitive differences in the smell of unrefined and refined butter. But since yours is old, that might not be a good gague as it might have developed odor or color as it aged.
 

keylargo

Active Member
Re: Paging Sweetcocoa and other \"kitchen chemists\"!

i bought the spray from Vitaminshoppe that i think you're talking about. i just bought it a week ago. i'm a serious pj. i saw it and like the ingrediants and it was only $4
i don't know how it works because my hair is in braids. it just makes my scalp itchy /images/graemlins/frown.gif
 

sweetcocoa

Active Member
Re: Paging Sweetcocoa and other \"kitchen chemists\"!

<font color="purple">Kasey and Michelle really covered your questions. /images/graemlins/smile.gif Personally I wasn't thrilled with glycerin...at least my hair wasn't...it tended to build up too easily on my fine hair and dry it out. /images/graemlins/confused.gif But that is my personal experience with it.</font color>
 

keylargo

Active Member
Re: Paging Sweetcocoa and other \"kitchen chemists\"!

maybe you guys can incorporate some of the ingrediants in your homemade version. this is for the stuff i bought from vitaminshoppe called Hairever II Hair and Scalp Vitamin Tonic. the ingrediants are:
Purified Water
Inositol
calcium d-pantothenate (pantothenic acid)
PABA
Cysteine-cystine-methionine(sulphur containing amino acids)
Extracts of chamomile,confrey,henna,hops,horsetail,nettle,rosemary, &amp; horse-chestnut
Retinol (vitamin A)
tocopherol (vitamin E)
Linoleic acid (vitamin F complex)
Biotin
Propylene Glycol
diazolidinyl urea
methylparaben
propylparaben

I guess the bottom four are preservatives
 

michelle

New Member
Re: Paging Sweetcocoa and other \"kitchen chemists\"

I used the wrong term before, I should have wrote solubilizer instead of emulsifier. Emulsifiers are for lotion/cream type products and solubilizers are for liquids

http://www.auroma.com/catalog/RawMaterials/Solubilizer/

As far as glycerin goes, I learned something really interesting. Glycering is a humectant, it draws moisture from the air and attaches it to itself. It does the same for your skin and your hair. Here's the interesting part, if you ever have some glycerin soap, if you leave it unwrapped in bathroom where you shower for a day or two, you will notice little beads of moisture forming on the top surface. If you leave it near a small puddle of water, you will notice a very unappealing looking moisture thing going on. This is what happens with glycerin and mositure and so you can see what can happen with glycerin and hair.

Which is why you should not use straight glycerin. I wish I had information on it's usage in hair care products, but it's usually at a small percentage, I'm willing to bet that it's no more than 10%, maybe not even more than 5%. So if you use too much, it will make your hair too sticky.
 

michelle

New Member
Re: Paging Sweetcocoa and other \"kitchen chemists\"

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
methylparaben propylparaben

[/ QUOTE ]

preservatives, very commonly used preservatives.

diazolidinyl urea-also a preservative

Propylene Glycol-used to retain moisture
 

BlkMane

New Member
Re: Paging Sweetcocoa and other \"kitchen chemists\"

Thank you, Michelle!!! Dang, you've given me so much info. I really appreciate it.

Do you think I can buy "solubilizer" somewhere in town. I'd rather just be able to pick some up, rather than having to buy on the internet.

What kind of store sells product to make homemade beauty products? Do health food stores sell this type of stuff?

PS- You're so right about the glycerin soap. I remember when I used Neutrogena that stuff would melt away so quickly. You have to keep glycerin soap in a RAISED soap dish, cause if you leave it sitting in water you'll have bath gel instead.
 

BlkMane

New Member
Re: Paging Sweetcocoa and other \"kitchen chemists\"!

Thanks for posting those ingredients, KeyLargo. That does look like the stuff I saw.
 

BlkMane

New Member
Re: Paging Sweetcocoa and other \"kitchen chemists\"

Thanks for the feedback, Kasey. I printed your reply out for reference. I think I'm clear now. I just need to find some solubilizer (as recommended by Michelle) to get the oils to dissolve in the water. Once I make my potion, I'll let you all know.

Thanks again, everyone!!!!!! /images/graemlins/cool.gif /images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 

Honey Vibe

The Good Physician
Re: Paging Sweetcocoa and other \"kitchen chemists\"

I wanna make some too /images/graemlins/frown.gif /images/graemlins/confused.gif
 

michelle

New Member
Re: Paging Sweetcocoa and other \"kitchen chemists\"

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
Do you think I can buy "solubilizer" somewhere in town. I'd rather just be able to pick some up, rather than having to buy on the internet.


[/ QUOTE ]

Depends on what kind of "town" you live in /images/graemlins/smirk.gif

To be honest, I haven't a clue as to what kind of yellow page listing you should look in to find such a product, or what kind of store might carry it. There are other things that are solubilizers, but I can't think of one right now.
 

LondonDiva

New Member
Re: Paging Sweetcocoa and other \"kitchen chemists\"

Interesting thread. You got me thinking about making some of my own now.
FYI if you don't have a printer but want to save the thread which is of interest to you, what you should do is page down to the bottom and click on the favourite tab. This will save the thread on the "my home" page so you can go back an refer to the post until you delete it from your home area of the board.
 
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